Fountain pen



March 1946. D. H. BRINSON, SR 2,396,771

FOUNTAIN PEN Filed 3, 1944 Inventor By 2mm Patented Mar. 19, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FOUNTAIN PEN Dara H. Brinson, Sr., Annapolis, Md. Application August 3, 1944, Serial No. 547,834

2 Claims. My invention relates to improvements in fountain pens, and more particularly to locking and Y sealing devices therefor, the primary object in view being to equip such pens with simply constructed, inexpensive means for positively locking the cap to the writing end of the pen without the use of screw threads, or similar devices, requiring rotation of the cap to detach or attach the same, and for rendering such pens leakproof when the cap is attached and thereby obviating the frequently irreparable damage to clothing, etc., caused by leaky fountain pens.

Other and subordinate objects are also comprehended by my inventions, all of which, together with the precise nature of my improvements, will be. readily understood when the succeeding description and claims are read with reference to the drawing accompanying and forming part of this specification.

In said drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a fountain pen equipped according to my invention in the preferred embodiment thereof,

Figure 2 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinal section,

Figure 3 is a similar view illustrating the position of the parts when the cap is unlocked,

Figure 4 is a view in side elevation, partly in section, of the sealing plunger, drawn to an enlarged scale,

Figure 5 is a view in perspective of the lockreleasing member,

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view in longitudinal section through the neck of the barrel and showing the collar with the hooked ends of the lookin fingers snapped over the same.

Referring to the drawing by numerals, my improved fountain pen, in the preferred em bodiment thereof, comprises the usual barrel I having a tapered neck 2 in which the pen point 3 is inserted, and a cap 4 of the usual type, with exceptions presently noted, adapted to frictionally fit at the open end thereof, when attached to the barrel I, over said barrel behind said neck.

According to my invention, a locking and sealing collar 5 having beveled front and rear edges 6, I is provided on the neck 2, said edges of the collar forming front and rear annular seats for a purpose presently seen.

A pair of locking fingers 8 of leaf spring, or other flexible construction, and having free right angled, or hooked, ends 9, normally converging forwardly, is suitably fixed in the cap 4 in diametrically opposite relation to extendalongside said cap so that the front ends 9 thereof are adapted to be cammed apart by the front edge 6 of the collar 5, when the cap 4 is shoved onto the writing end of the barrel I, and snap over said collar against the rear edge I of the same to lock said cap on said barrel.

A sealing plunger I0 is provided in the cap 4 and which comprises an enlarged, solid vrearend head l-l slidably fitted in said cap 4, a hollow shank I2 adapted to receive the pen point 3 therein, the shank being provided with a beveled front end [3 adapted to set fiush on the front face 6 of the collar 5 to form therewith a seal.

An elongated, U-shaped lock-releasing member M in the 'cap 4 is slidably extended, at its sides, through suitable guide apertures IS in the head I l for endwise movement in the cap 4 in straddling relation to the shank l 2 of the plunger Ill and with the free ends of said member interposed between the fingers 8 and provided with small rollers l6 adapted, when the member I4 is moved forwardly, from a normal position, to engage the ends 9 of the fingers 8 and cam said ends apart to free the collar 5.

A push button I! is slidably mounted in an aperture l8 in the rear end of the cap 4, with a flanged front end I9 for engagement with said end of the cap 4 to limit outward movement of said button in the aperture iii.

A coil spring 20 interposed between the head ll of the plunger l0 and the rear end of the lock-releasing member l4, and straddled by said member l4, urges the. member rearwardly into ineffective position and the rear end of said member against said button, said spring further urging the sealing plunger l0 forwardly.

An annular stop collar 2! fixed in the cap 4 limits forward movement of the sealing plunger ill by engagement with the head ll of said plunger. The limit of forward movement of Said sealing plunger I0 is such that the end l3 thereof is normally positioned for engagement with the edge 6 of the collar 5 before said collar is locked to the fingers 8. A pin 22 in the cap 4 fixes the stop collar 2| in place.

As will now be seen, as an incident to attachment of the cap 4 to the barrel I over the writing end of the barrel, the edge 6 of the collar 5 engages the hooked ends 9 of the locking fingers 8 and cams said fingers apart to seat with a snap action against the rear edge I of said collar and thereby lock the collar to said fingers and the cap against detachment. As the collar 5 moves into locked position, the edge 6 of said collar seats against the and I3 of the sealing plunger ID in opposition to tension exerted by the spring 20-" and said'edge 6 and end I3 coact to form a seal'preventing leakage around the pen 3. When theses-leis thus formed, the sealing plunger 10 is moved rearwa'rdl'y out of its limit of forward movement. To unlock the cap 4, the push button I! is pushed inwardly to thrust the lock-releasingemember l4 forwardly, both in opposition to the spring 20, such forward movement of said member 14 moving the rollers I 6 into engagement withthe fingers 8 to spread the same apart and unlock thecollar 5. As the cap 4 is detached, pressure against the button I! being released, the spring 20 moves the sealing plunger Ill into its limit of forward movement, and retracts the locking member l4 and the push button I! into normal position established by engagement of the flanged end l9 v of the button with the rear end of the cap 4, and the rear end of the lockreleasing member 14 with said end of said but.- ton II. The manner in which the parts operate when the push button I1 is moved inwardly of the cap member 4 is clearly illustrated in Figure 3.

The foregoing will, it is believed, sufiice to impart a'clear understanding of my invention without further explanation.

Manifestly, the invention, as described, is susceptible of modification without departing from theinventive concept, and'right is herein reserved to'such modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I olaim'is:

1. In a fountain pen including a barrel, a pen point at one end of the barrel and a cap adapted to frictionally fit over said end, means to releasably lock said cap to said barrel comprising a locking collar on said end of the barrel adapted to be inserted in said cap, apair of opposed flexible resilient locking fingers in the cap between which said collar is adapted to pass and having hooked ends for engagement behind the collar with a snap action when the collar passes the same, a spring-tensioned hollow sealing plunger in said cap for receiving the pen point therein and seating against the collar when the collar is moved past said hooked ends, a push button in the outer end of said cap, and means in said cap operative by' said button to flex said fingers out of engagement with said collar.

2. In a fountain pen including a barrel, a pen point at one end of the barrel and a cap adapted to frictionally fit over said end, means to releasably lock said cap to said barrel comprising a locking collar on said end of the barrel adapted to be inserted in said cap, a pair of opposed flexible resilient locking fingers in the cap between which said collar is adapted to pass and having hooked ends for engagement behind the collar with a snap action when the collar passes the same, a spring-tensioned hollow sealing plunger in said cap for receiving the pen point therein and seating against the collar when the collar is moved past said hooked ends, a push button in the outer end of said cap, and means in said cap operativeby said button to flex said fingers out of engagement with said collar comprising an unlocking member movable by said button to spread said fingers apart and tensioned by said spring against such movement.

' DARA H. BRINSON, SR. 

